Samuel Little: The Most Prolific Serial Killer In U.S. History Has Finally Been Found

Serial killers occupy a strange place in our collective consciousness. We despise the horrific crimes they have committed, but also investigate them with a strange, morbid curiosity. As TV shows like Netflix's Mindhunter and Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tape become more and more popular, real-life cops recently revealed the most prolific serial killer in United States history.

Worst Serial Killers in American History

His name is Samuel Little, and he was born in 1940 in Reynolds, Georgia. After spending most of his adult life in and out of prison, a judge finally sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murder of Alford Nelson in 2014. However, this was just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of his terrifying story would not have seen the light of day, if not for the work of one particular Texas Ranger. (No, not that one. Sorry.)

How to break a serial killer

Police had long suspected Little's involvement in several murders, but they had little success cracking the tough, old nut---until FBI analysts Christy Palazzolo and Angela Williams opened the old case files and found cases that were compatible with Little's methods. , He then calls on Texas Ranger James Holland, known to be an expert in interviewing and interrogation techniques, to help trace Little's past.

Interview of a serial killer

First, Holland did Little Plaid with Peanuts M&Ms and chatted about boxing. (Little was once a small-time professional boxer.) This failed when Little, who was awaiting appeal on three kills, stopped and insisted that he would win and be free again one day.

Then Holland brought up an Odessa, Texas murder case, and for some reason, Little lit up with excitement. Despite his previous claims, he began to discuss the 1994 murder in intense detail. He also began to describe other murders: "Jackson, Mississippi --- one. Cincinnati, Ohio --- one. Phoenix, Arizona --- three." None of his recalls align with information in the FBI database, but further examination of local records revealed a case-by-case case that was consistent with Little's description.